Terrazzo floor and pattern and guide strips therefor



July 8, 1941. OPPENHEIMER TERRAZZO FLOOR AND PATTERN AND GUIDE STRIPS THEREFOR Filed Dec. 14, 1958 ATTORNEYS Patented July 8, 1941 TERRAZZO FLOOR AND PATTERN AND GUIDE STRIPS THEREFOR Leo Oppenheimer, New York, N. Y., assignor to Lockstrip Manufacturing Corporation, Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application December 14, 1938, Serial No. 245,54 7

7 Claims. (CI. 94-17) Pattern and guide strips have been used extensively in terrazzo floors for some years and although efiort has been made to simplify the handling of the strips upon a job, particularly aligning the crosswise strips with respect to the lengthwise strips so that they stand at substantially right angle and in close abutment supported in position with respect to each other, no practical suggestion has been put forward for this purpose. It has also been found cumbersome to exactly 10- cate the crosswise strips with respect to the lengthwise strips without measuring such distances and laying the crosswise strips on the basis of such measurements. The foregoing objections are overcome by this invention and this invention provides other advantages in the laying of terrazzo floors embodying predetermined designs, as will appear hereinafter.

The object of the invention is to provide the spaced guides by which he can determine the position which the crosswise strips are to assume pursuant to the predetermined pattern and which guides provide means for aligning the lengthwise laid strips and the crosswise strips in squared relation. Such guides also provide means for receiving and supporting the crosswise strips without, however, binding or tying such strips together, the relation of such strips permitting, should the floor expand or contract unequally, movement of the lengthwise and crosswise strips with relation to each other. Such guide means also provide a line along which the pattern and guide strip may be bent to form squares having equal sides, with a guide at each corner of the square.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 represents a section of terrazzo floor made according to this invention, with a portion of the terrazzo layer broken away, showing the underbed and the inserted strips; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlargement showing portions of the lengthwise and crosswise strips in assembled relation, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged portion of one of the corners of a square formed from one of the pattern and guide strips as illustrated in the central portion of Fig. 1.

The terrazzo floor consists of an underbed l of cement and sand and of a substantially uniform and level top surface 2, laid while in a plastic condition. The pattern and guide strips 3 are made of brass, zinc or other suitable metal, in suitable lengths, preferably either three or six foot lengths and of suitable gauge, and in such lengths and gauge being flexible. Such pattern and guide strips are of uniform thickness in their body portions and the opposite faces 4 of such guide strips being parallel. Suitable extensions are stamped and pressed from the body of the strip, providing guides 5 and apertures 6, the guides 5 being bent outwardly with respect to the face of the strip and with relation to the apertures 6. Such guides 5 may take any convenient form, it being desirable however, that they extend outwardly from the face of the strip in a definite relation with respect to the apertures 6, the form of guide shown and described being merely for the purpose of illustrating the invention. The guides 5 are provided with a slot 1 extending from the outer edge of the guide through the body thereof and preferably terminating in alignment with the face 4 of the strip. The width of the slot 1 is such as to readily receive, by a sliding relation, the end 8 of a crosswise strip. Inasmuch as the end edges .of the strips, when made, are cut square with respect to the top and bottom edges of the strip, it is evident that the relation of two such abutting strips will be in aligned and in square relation, the portions of the guide 5 on each side of the end 8 of the strip loosely receiving and embracing such strip. It will be evident from an examination of Fig. 4 that when the particular job, being laid, requires a pattern involving squares, said squares maybe formed, within the capacity of the strips, by bending the strip on a line which passes through'a slot I and between the two portions making up each guide 5. The two portions of the guide 5, when the strip is so bent, readily separate in an open scissor-like relation, as illustrated in Fig, 4.

The terrazzo top layer 9 consists of the usual mixture of terrazzoor other decorative stone-like material, mixed with cement and laid while wet, and subsequently ground to provide a smooth top surface substantially level with the tops of the terrazzo strips.

To illustrate the complete process of laying a terrazzo floor of the character shown in Fig. l, the workmen, after the particular design is determined upon, proceed as follows: The underbed I is laid of substantially uniform thickness and level, or inclined to conform to the ultimate desired surface condition of the completely finished terrazzo floor. When the underbed has set or hardened so that it will bear the weight of the workmen and while it is still in condition for insertion of the pattern and guide strips, the workmen lay out, by chalk lines, the lines along which the lengthwise pattern and guide strips are to be laid. They then, by the usual process, insert; the pattern and guide strips in the underbed by forcing the same into the underbed following such chalk lines, as is illustrated at l0. It is preferred that the guides 5 all be formed on the same side of the strip and that when the strips are laid the guides 5 of the lengthwise strips all point in the same direction, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The lengthwise strips are inserted so that one of the guides 5 will occur at the point at which a crosswise strip is to extend. In other words, the slot 1 of a guide 5 would be in line with any mark which is made upon the underbed as indicating the position which a crosswise strip is to assume, and, in the best practice, the guide 5 of the next lengthwise strip will be aligned with the first mentioned guide. A selection of strips for this purpose is not very difficult inasmuch as the guides and the slots are formed in the strips at evenly recurring positions, six inches from the center of one slot to the center of the next, excepting for the two end guides, which are three inches inside of the end edges of the strips. In some instances, it might be necessary to out the initial strip to get the proper length to start the laying of the lengthwise strips and to bring the guides in the correct position. Such a practice will probably be found simpler than punching the gLL'des in the strips to suit the particular job, although this can be done. In the best practice, the floor would be laid out on the basis of a standard type of strip and the floor divided into configuration to come within the capacity of such standard type of strip. When the lengthwise strips are inserted in the underbed, the guides 5, either by measurement from their top surface to the top surface of the strip, or by visual observation, are brought into a definite relation with the top surface of the underbed and thereby the ultimate height of the terrazzo top layer is determined. The guides are of such a character that they can be readily forced into the underbed, if desired for the purpose of reducing the thickness of the top layer, and such guides may or may not be utilized to force the material of the underbed into the apertures 6 in order to lock the strip. Some forms of guides do not tend to force the displaced material of the underbed into the apertures 6, but they would nevertheless be available in connection with the practice of this invention. Assuming that the lengthwise portion of the pattern has been laid out in strips, such strips would appear in parallel rows. The workmen then take other sections of the pattern and guide strips and insert the end 8 of a strip into the slot of the particular guide that is to receive such a strip and aligns the opposite end of the strip with the corresponding slot of a guide in the next row of lengthwise strips and then forces such crosswise strip into the underbed with its end edge parallel to the face 4 of the lengthwise strip. It is usually impossible for the workmen to force the lengthwise strips into the underbed in an exactly vertical position, but when the crosswise strip is put in .place' with its pre-cut vertical end face, it will be evident that the two strips can be brought into alignment and close contact. For this purpose the lengthwise strip, should it not contact the end face of the crosswise strip, may be straightened by the worknen, which is still possible because the underbed is in working condition, and the material of the underbed forced against the face of the lengthwise strip opposite the guide 5 to secure the strips in close and vertical relation. It is sufilcient if one end of a crosswise strip is inserted in the slot of a guide and the other end of the crosswise strip is aligned with the corresponding slot 1 in the opposite lengthwise strip by using the slot of the opposite guide as a guide line for ascertaining the squared position of the crosswise strip. This procedure is evident from an examination of the exposed strip at the positions X--Y in Fig. 1.

The diamond-shaped figure II is bent from a continuous strip directly across the strip through the slots 1. The two portions of the guides 5, when the strip is so bent, readily separate to an open scissor-like formation, as illustrated in Fig. 4, and are located at the corners of the strip should be dimensions of each leg of the diamond be within the capacity of the strip. The strip bent to diamond configuration is readily insertable in the underbed and its position may be determined either by measuring the distances from the lengthwise or crosswise strips, or by alignment of opposite guides 5 on the diamond-shaped strip with corresponding guides 5 on the lengthwise strips, as is illustrated in Fig, l.

The strips having all been laid, the underbed is allowed to harden completely and the terrazzocement mixture is then filled in between the pattern and guide strips to the level of the top edges of such strips. After the terrazzo layer has hardened, the surface thereof is ground to a smooth level finish with the top edge of the pattern and guide strips.

The entire completed structure of this invention, apart from the usefulness of the strips in laying the floor, has the added advantage that the lengthwise and crosswise strips, although arranged, in interengaging condition by the relation of the end of a strip with a guide 5, is not a rigid or locked relation and consequently if the floor settles, the strips may correspondingly shift their relation without one strip pulling or dragging upon the interengaging strip. If the strips were locked together, the surface of the floor would be damaged and it is therefore important that this independence of the strips be maintained.

The length of the guides are preferably about seven-sixteenths of an inch and the slots preferably have a corresponding length, in order that, if there is settling of the floor and separation of the strips, the crosswise strip will not pull entirely from the guide of the lengthwise strip.

The strips may be laid with the guides facing each other and both ends of the crosswise strips may be inserted in slots 1, but this practice is not necessary or recommended.

I claim:

1. In a terrazzo or like floor, a cementitious underbed, a series of lengthwise and crosswise strips having portions thereof inserted in the underbed, guides formed out of the body of the lengthwise strip and extending outwardly from the face of the strip, said guides joining said strip along a line parallel with the top edge of said strip, slots in the guides, said crosswise strips having straight out ends, said ends of the crosswise strips being inserted in said slots with the side walls of the slots engaging the side surfaces of the crosswise strips, said straight out ends contacting the adjacent faces of the lengthwise strip, the strips being free at the guides to move relatively and independently change their positions should the floor sag and tend to cause lengthwise and crosswise strips to separate,

2. In a terrazzo or the like floor, as set forth in claim 1, in which the slots extend from the tips of the guidesrearwardly to the vertical faces of the strips and the slots are substantially at right angles to the faces of the strips, the walls of the guides embracing portions of the crosswise strips, which portions are substantially equal in length to the distance from the face of the lengthwise strip to the outer end of the guides.

3. A pattern and guide strip of the character set forth in claim 1, in which each guide comprises two portions separated by a slot, the inner walls of the two portions diverging in scissorlike formation.

4. A pattern and guide strip of the character set forth in claim 1, in which the guides are stamped from the body of the strip and bent upwardly at substantially right angles to the face of the strip, providing openings beneath the guides, and the strips crosswise with respect thereto have straight out ends extending entirely across the strip abutting against the strip at the upper portion and in the lower portion crossing said openings but leaving said Openings unobstructed.

5. A dividing strip for terrazzo or the like floors, comprising a substantially flat, elongated metal strip, tab members bent from said strip, said tab member lying in the same plane, and lying substantially perpendicular to the face plane thereof, the surfaces of said tab members being substantially parallel to the top edge of said strip, the opposed edges of said tab members being spaced apart a distance at least as great as the thickness of said strip whereby to form a slot for accommodating a cross strip, said tabs also serving to gauge the depth of said strip in the material forming the floor.

6. A dividing strip for terrazzo or the like floors, comprising a substantially flat, elongated metal strip, tab members bent out from the plane of said strip along a line substantially parallel with the top edge thereof, the opposed edges of said tab members being spaced apart a distance at least as great as the thickness of said strip whereby to form a slot for accommodating a cross strip, the opposing edges of the slot being parallel and substantially perpendicular to the face plane of said strip, said tabs also serving to gauge the depth of said strip in the material forming the floor.

7. A dividing strip for terrazzo or the like floors, comprising a substantially fiat, elongated metal strip, tab members rigid with said strip, said tab members lying in the same plane and extending substantially perpendicular to the face plane thereof, the plane of the faces of said tabs being substantially parallel to the top edge of said strip, said tabs being spaced apart a distance at least as great as the thickness of said strip whereby to form a slot for accommodating a cross strip and for gauging the depth of said strip in the material forming the floor.

LEO OPPENHEIMER. 

